In light of the current crisis in Iran and broader conflicts such as the Ukraine war, the dependency of European aviation on fossil fuels and imported kerosene is clearer than ever. Countries like China are quickly catching up in the field of aerospace technologies. If we fail to look ahead, Europe will lose its position as a global leader, remain dependent on fossil imports and risk losing its competitive edge in sustainable technologies.
The aviation sector should be treated as a strategic European industry, yet this comes with a responsibility. The sector must show it is willing to contribute financially to its own transition and competitive advantage. This requires investments in e-SAF and zero-emission technology supported by revenues generated through fair aviation pricing. The aviation sector, supported by strong policy, can achieve moonshot innovation projects, build competitiveness and increase European energy and economic sovereignty.
Developing an aviation sector that can compete in the future means funding zero-emission technology and e-SAF scale up, kickstarting non-CO2 mitigation, enabling fair pricing and shifting away from volume driven growth and. These are the five pillars of a resilient, powerful and secure aviation sector.
T&E priorities:
See T&E’s full response here
